Her Standing Ovation
by EccaDaisy
Summary: Severus reflects on his time with the Know-It-All. SSHG, forth in the 'Sing me a Song' Series.


**Authors Note: **This is the forth in my 'Sing-me-a-Song' Series. The song is 'Take a Bow' by Rihanna, written by Ne-yo. Please Enjoy…

_**My Show Will Go On**_

_By Ecca Daisy_

I never thought that I would ever fall for a student. Hell, I never really liked any of my students. I would sometimes favor those from my own house, but that was expected, and sometimes demanded. To me, all students where dunderheads, and if for some miraculous reason they showed some intelligence, they were still just know-it-all little shits. However, that was until she hit her 7th and final year. For she had a determination and strength that none could match.

Everyone knew what a beauty she could be when she set her mind to it. She had proved that rather successfully during her 4th year at the Yule Ball. Yet very few noticed her style and grace that had always been there, just waiting for the chance to shine. And shine she did.

_Oh, How about a round of applause, Yeah  
A standing ovation  
Oooooo, Yeah  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah_

It was only two days until students would return to their homes for the Christmas break, however her parents had requested she leave early for a formal function that they would like her to attend, so the arrangements were made for her to Port key directly from the Headmasters office to the venue in Muggle London.

Unfortunately for me, I had been requested by the Headmaster, along with the other Heads of Houses for a meeting. Furthermore, with Albus being the talkative man he was, it ran into her arrival time, but for once, I was glad that Albus had ranted on, otherwise I would have missed her. I still remember Minerva's whispered words next to me, "She looks like a Queen", and it was true, Hermione Granger had a regal sense about her in a floor length gown made of a deep blue silk, with intricate beading sown into the length of her shawl. I doubt that I have ever been so slack-jawed in my entire life.

_You look so dumb right now  
Standing outside my house  
Trying to apologize  
You're so ugly when you cry  
Please, just cut it out_

It seemed that things changed in an instant, for by the time that the students had returned from their holidays word was out, Hermione Granger was a wanted women. At first it annoyed me, all the hushed conversations about how amazing and brilliant she was, not to mention how beautiful. Yet, as it always seems to happen, things changed again.

I remember the day clearly, it was a Thursday afternoon and I had just finished teaching double Potions with the 1st Year Slytherin's and Gryffindor's, always a tiring class however it seemed that they day was not yet over, as a mumbled and angry 'Enter' to the person who knocked on my door. It wasn't until she reached my desk that I looked up, only to find my self staring into a pair of large brown eyes. It was then and there that I felt like I could melt into those eyes.

_Don't tell me you're sorry cuz you're not  
Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught_

The young bushy haired, buck-toothed girl who I had meet 6 years previously had finally grown up and before me stood a gorgeous young woman who could hold her own in many facets of life. And for once in my live, I Severus Snape was unarmored with a young woman who could never be mine. Well at least that's what I thought.

Unknown to me, that day was to be the start of many things, the least of all a forbidden relationship between the Gryffindor Know-It-All and the Snarky Professor.

_But you put on quite a show  
You really had me going  
But now it's time to go  
Curtain's finally closing  
That was quite a show  
Very entertaining  
But it's over now (But it's over now)  
Go on and take a bow_

It was all above board to start with, with the on going war she felt that she should be doing more to help her friends and wanted to learn more advanced potions, particularly those of the healing nature. I agreed to this, it was after all it would greatly benefit the cause. I was only one man after all, and being the only Potions Master in the Order my spare time, that which was taken up by the Dark Lord or Albus was spent making stores of potions for Madam Pomfrey. So a deal was struck, I would teach her the intricate details of potion making and in return she would help me putting her skills to work for the order.

This arrangement continued for weeks, with each of us slowly getting to know the other, and as much as it pained me, we worked well as a team. We slowly started to talk of things outside of Hogwarts and the War, we spoke about our different upbringings, of our friends and our dreams, and slowly I started to fall for my student.

_Grab your clothes and get gone (get gone)  
You better hurry up  
Before the sprinklers come on (come on)  
Talkin' bout'  
Girl, I love you, you're the one  
This just looks like a re-run  
Please, what else is on (on)_

However it wasn't until about 2 months into our lessons that something happened. We had been working on was to improve the blood-replenishing potion, and by altering a few of the ingredients we were starting to see results. In the last few days we had been researching the benefits of rose petals in the potion and tonight would be the first night to add them into the potion. I had been rambling on about how ineffective it would be when I looked over to notice the young woman I had become to know as Hermione was fast asleep draped across an old potions journal.

It was enough to cause me a small smile, and not wanting to wake her, I transfigured an unused chair into a comfy couch before gently picking her up and placing her own the couch. However it seemed that Hermione was a lighter sleeper then I had anticipated and as I turned to make my way to the still simmering cauldron I felt her small hand take my wrist and barely heard her hushed words, "Stay here, Severus."

_  
And don't tell me you're sorry cuz you're not  
Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught  
But you put on quite a show  
You really had me going  
But now it's time to go  
Curtain's finally closing  
That was quite a show  
Very entertaining  
But it's over now (But it's over now)  
Go on and take a bow_

Once more my world spun, and turning back to the young woman I couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips. Sitting beside her, I merely watched as she took her hand in mine, tracing the tips of her fingers over my knuckles before turning my hand over and tracing small circles over my palm. Closing my hand to still hers, I looked up, for once my questions blazing across my face, 'What?".

However instead of speaking she slowly sat up, her petite frame moving ever so slowly towards mine, and as her warm heart-shaped face neared my own pale one I knew what I wanted. Be damned with the consequences, for tonight I would have what every other warm blooded man younger then 40 in this castle wanted. I would have Hermione Granger, the bright, and charming young woman. However, my thoughts ended abruptly as her lips meet mine and we both were lost to the passion that we had caused.

_  
Oh, And the award for  
The best liar goes to you (goes to you)  
For making me believe (that you)  
That you could be faithful to me  
Let's hear your speech, Oh_

That night was filled with a passion that surpassed no others, and it was the first of many. Most nights would be the same, we would work on the potions, I would teach and she would learn. We would talk about our plans, our dreams and our fears, and I slowly realized that I wanted an 'us' to be in the plans not just my dreams. So, we continued, and once the lessons were over and the potions were made, we would adjourn, and for the first time in many, many years I allowed a woman into my bed, where a passion would be fulfilled and I would fall asleep with a beautiful woman beside me.

However it was the mornings that were the hardest, waking up to find the warmth gone. I knew that it had to be the way, she would leave in the middle of the night, returning to her dorm, but I always hoped that one morning, I would wake to find her still with me. However that would never happen. But it all came to a crashing halt, for the day before her graduation, the day before I had planned on asking her to stay with me, I awoke not only to her absence in my bed but also to a note, a note of goodbye.

_How about a round of applause  
A standing ovation_

I still have the note, penned in her neat cursive script, her note that said with out any doubts this would not continue, she had a war to fight as did I. She thanked me for my lessons, told me she had gained so much more useful knowledge, in the area of potions. Nothing ever again would be mentioned of us, it seemed for her I had been nothing yet she had been everything to me.

So with that note, apart of me broke. I felt used, but being the man I am, I never let it show. I still had to see her, both of us being in the Order and all. But neither of us said anything of our affair, and never again would I feel her fingers entwined in my hair, nor would I feel the gentle rise and fall of her breast as she slept, her body curled into mine. Never again would I feel her lips upon mine. And once again, Hermione Jane Granger was underestimated, for no one but I knew what a superb actress she was.

_But you put on quite a show  
Really had me going  
Now it's time to go  
Curtain's finally closing  
That was quite a show  
Very entertaining  
But it's over now (But it's over now)  
Go on and take a bow  
But it's over now  
_


End file.
